Its been six years since Alita: Battle Angel was released in theaters, and it has been a few years since James Cameron announced that a sequel is in the works. While a release date has yet to be revealed, its director, Robert Rodriguez, shared his thoughts on the project’s progress.
In an interview with Joe Rogan, Rodriguez emphasized that Alita’s journey in the Iron City is far from over and said he wanted to make another movie based on Yukito Kishiro‘s manga series. The filmmaker has previously stated that he was doubtful that a sequel would come to light due to Disney‘s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. But his mindset changed when he saw more Fox films coming out. If a follow-up feature were to be made, he and Cameron would have enough material to make two more movies.
It’s not just Rodriguez who wants an Alita: Battle Angel sequel. In 2022, Avatar: The Way of Water‘s producer Jon Landau also expressed interest in seeing one, saying he’s been in talks with the director but is not ready to share a timeframe. Meanwhile, Cameron said he’s working on the project but has yet to share details on what has been worked on so far.
What Is ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ About
Based on Kishiro‘s manga series, Battle Angel Alita, Alita: Battle Angel is a 2019 feature set in a cyberpunk future. It follows a cyborg named Alita, who is found in a scrapyard but has lost her memories. Eventually, bits of her past slowly get revealed as she becomes a hunter-warrior before becoming a Motorball star. The feature starred Rosa Salazar (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials) as Alita, Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) as Dr. Dyson Ido, Keean Johnson (Euphoria) as Hugo, and Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) as Vector.
According to Anime News Network, Alita: Battle Angel entered pre-production in 2003 but was in development hell due to Cameron working on the Avatar movie. Upon its release in 2019, Alita: Battle Angel was well-loved by fans, receiving a high 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, critics gave it a fair score of 61%. Additionally, the film generated over $404 million at the worldwide box office and was nominated for numerous awards, such as “Best Science Fiction Film” at the Saturn Awards.
Alita: Battle Angel is available to stream on Fubo. Meanwhile, the sequel has yet to announce a release date.
via Collider